Download Authenticity of the Bible 1 - Precision Points of a Called Christian

Authenticity of the Bible
Introduction
I’ve often wondered why I believe what I believe. Am I a Christian because I was raised to be one, or do I
actually believe it for myself? Where do Christian beliefs come from? How do we know the bible is
accurate? These are all questions I’ve asked, and I’m sure many others have asked as well. Prophecies
fulfilled, archaeological evidence, cohesive unity, and the power of Christ revealed are four reasons that
serve as evidence for why the bible is true and inspired by God.
Prophecy
Babylon: Isaiah 13:19-22, which was written sometime between 700 and 681 B.C., predicted the
downfall of Babylon. “Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the glory of Babylonians’ pride, will be
overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.” Babylon was a very powerful empire at this point in
history, but in 539 B.C., it was overthrown by Cyrus, and it never recovered.
Isaiah didn’t stop his prophecy with simply saying Babylon would be overthrown, he continued in 14:23
and wrote, “I will turn her into a place for owls and into swampland.”The city gradually decayed over the
centuries and when scientists excavated the city in the 1800s, some parts of it couldn’t be dug up
because they were under a water table that had risen over the years. 1
Tyre: Ezekiel lived between 587 and 586 B.C. In Ezekiel 26:4 he foretold the destruction of Tyre. “They
will destroy the walls of Tyre and pull down her towers; I will scrape away her rubble and make her a
bare rock.” Around 250 years later in 332 B.C., Alexander the Great conquered the island of Tyre and
brought an end to the Phoenician empire.2
Sidon: Ezekiel 28:21-23 predicted Sidon’s downfall before it happened. Feel free to check it out and
determine its accuracy.
Medio-Persia and Greece: In Daniel 8 he tells of a vision he had that showed a ram and goat fighting. In
verse 20-21 an angel explains his vision to him, saying “the two-horned ram that you saw represents the
kings of Media and Persia. The shaggy goat is the king of Greece…” We know Daniel wrote this
sometime between 603 B.C. and 530 B.C. In 332 B.C. the king of Greece, Alexander the Great,
conquered the Median-Persian forces. 3
Jesus’ Birthplace: In Micah 5:2 we are told that “you, Bethlehem Ephrathah…out of you will come one
who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
It is commonly accepted by any scholar that Jesus Christ lived. Whether or not he was the Son of God
could be debated, but his existence is not debatable. We are told he was born in Bethlehem in Mathew
2:1 and Luke 2:4. This confirms Micah’s prophecy.
Many scholars suggest that Jesus was simply an incredible teacher, a wise and good man, but not the
son of God. Jesus couldn’t be just a wise teacher and declare himself to be supernatural. He even went
so far as to tell the Sanhedrin that “I am the Christ, Son of the Blessed One, and you will see me sitting at
the right hand of God, coming on the clouds of heaven.” Mark 14:61-62. Jesus was either crazy and a
fraud, or the actual son of God as he claimed.
Archaeology
Moabite Stone: Discovered in 1868 at Dibon, Jordan, this artifact confirmed the Moabite attacks on
Israel that were recorded in 2 Kings 1 & 3.
The Lachish Letters: Discovered sometime in 1932-1938 and found 24 miles north of Beersheba, these
letters describe the attack of Nebuchadnezzar on Jerusalem in 586 B.C. This is recorded in 2 Kings 25.
The Dead Sea Scrolls: These historical artifacts were discovered in 1948. They date back to 150-170 B.C.
and contain all or parts of the Old Testament books except the book of Esther. They confirm the bible’s
historical accuracy.
Cyrus’ Cylinder: This artifact records events that occurred in the life of King Cyrus. The same events
written in the cylinder are recorded in 2 Chronicles 36:22-23, Isaiah 44:28, and Ezra 1:7-11.4
Pool of Sileom: This was recently discovered in 2005 by some workers repairing sewage pipes in Old
Jerusalem. The pool is central to the miracle Christ worked in John 9:1-7, where he healed a blind man.5
Cohesive Unity & Accuracy
In 2 Peter 1:21, it says “For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they
were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” When a claim as bold as this is made, it implies that the bible is either
actually inspired by God or is a fraud. The bible was written over a 1500-year period of time, by over 44 authors.
For all of these authors to never contradict each other, shows the obvious truth of 2 Peter. No other book has
ever been compiled by so many authors over such a long period of time.
Christ Revealed
I think the strongest testament to the accuracy of the bible and the entire foundation for Christianity is the
difference I’ve seen in my life and in the lives of people who have come to know Christ personally. I’ve heard it
argued that there is no scientific way of proving that Christ is the reason for one’s happiness and peace. How can
we know this said happiness isn’t coming from lifestyle, or family, or the living out of one’s dreams? This
question is easily answered by anyone who has discovered an intimate relationship with Christ, but let me give a
few examples to explain.
Mike Boyd is a good friend of my parents and our family. Mike is one of the happiest guys I’ve ever met, and one
of the most solid Christians I’ve ever met. I’ve never once heard him complain about anything in my four years
of contact with him, and he always has a smile on his face. Unfortunately, Mike is paralyzed, lives with his
parents, and has been in a wheelchair ever since a construction accident he was involved in years ago.
Another example I think of is the Georges. Mr. and Mrs. George took their family of four children to serve as
missionaries in some remote jungle in a country I can’t even recall right now. They gave up their civilized
Western life for one of poverty and extreme hardship. I would read stories about them in a missionary magazine
and foolishly feel sorry for them. The work they were doing was extremely difficult and they had no comforts to
speak of. I can only attribute their happiness to the working of Christ in their hearts and lives.
Summary
This collection of evidence provides unquestionable proof of the bible’s accuracy. In this day and age it is
important to not only know what you believe, but understand why you believe it. Prophecy, archaeology,
cohesive unity, and Christ revealed are four simple evidences we can remember to share when we are
questioned about our beliefs. As Christianity continues to grow, it is obviously important for all Christians to be
equipped with answers about the truth of the bible.
1
Konig, George & Ray. “100 Prophecies: Ancient biblical prophecies that foretold the future.” CreateSpace Publishing.
October 6, 2008.
2
AboutBibleProphecy.com. April 17, 2010
3
“Alexandar the Great.” Wikipedia.org. April 17, 2010
4
Finley, Mark. “Studying Together.” Hart Research Center. 1995.
5
“Archaeology Proves Bible History Accurate.” The Trumpet. December 2005.